Experience Economy: Verdict = Whole Foods > Trader Joe's

Team: Max, Kevin, Carolyn

Assignment: visit Whole Foods and Trader Joe's, experience and observe the atmosphere of each specialty grocer

First Stop: Whole Foods

Second Stop: Trader Joe's

The automatic sliding door glided open and we exchanged cheesy anxious glances. Upon entering a subtle scent of fresh foods washed over us; the produce was to our left. We walked around not really sure where to look first, though not because the organization was in any way overwhelming rather, because the presentation of interesting food stuffs was executed so well. The aisle were, for the most part, arranged in typical parallel style. The product placement was almost zen-like. Sweet potatoes and marshmallows were placed together, specific cheeses were set near apples or honey, coffees and teas were stacked with mugs, and cereals were across from milk. Nothing was out of place; there were no random novelty tchotchkes protruding obnoxiously into the faces of innocent shoppers. We awed at the interesting variety of foods Whole Foods offered: exotic fruits, tasteful cheeses, wholesome deli products, delicate desserts and pastries, healthy dairy products, whole grain cereals, and natural sodas. A sign near the entrance advertised a selection of 47 local and 179 organic products. Whole Foods stocked things one cannot buy in generic grocery stores, making our visit an experience beyond the physical uniqueness of the store.

We walked into Trader Joe's and our excitement from the first stop almost immediately diminished. The place was crowded and everyone seemed to circulate through the aisles in a set pattern. There were bright in-your-face signs hanging around the perimeter and above almost everything. Products were placed in a typical grocery store manner but there was a hipster air. Not to say Trader Joe's wasn't as interesting as Whole Foods, it just wasn't as welcoming; I would have to visit a couple more times before I felt totally comfortable. It seemed as though every shopper in the store was on a specific mission and their goal was very clear: complete the grocery check list of unique can't-really-be-found-anywhere-else items. I will commend Trader Joe's for stepping up that generic idea of a grocery store simply by stocking their shelves with more interesting food stuffs. Maybe we were less impressed by Trader Joe's because our stop to Whole Foods made the better first impression and was very high competition in our minds.  

...carolyn

Peaceful Saturday

Saturday mornings are one of my favorite times to come up to studio and work. There are usually only a few people working quietly which makes accomplishing something quite simple and very motivating. Today studio is empty except for a few second years so I settle into my drawing--a headache of curves and spirals with the thickness of extremely thin wire. This will be my first experience working with french curves. The ease and fluidity of each arch in the plastic templates stares me down, taunting me with their perfection and daring me to get this drawing right. I begin following the sketchy spirals that originally caused the drawing to appear disarrayed like a messy bird's nest. It is slow and tedious work but, for the sake of learning new skills and practicing old ones, I push on.

...carolyn

Anti-Valentine's Day Girls Night

On Saturday, a group of studio girls went out for a girls night in light of Valentine's Day. In studio the Friday before we huddled together to discuss the next evening's plans but ended up all talking at once and not getting very far with the planning. Thanks to cell phones and the new age tradition of procrastination we didn't really have to worry.

We met in the Honor College dorms at 6:30; Megan, Katie, Catalina, Molly, Karolina, Ryan, and I were all dressed up for the occasion. We had decided before hand that none of us would wear pink. Catalina and Katie would drive us to the Pufferbelly, a nice restaurant downtown. Before we left pictures were taken and last minute makeup and clothing adjustments were made. We arrived to the restaurant just before 8 and were seated rather quickly. Everyone ordered beverages and we all shared bread and a delicious warm artichoke dip before the food arrived. Each dish was thoroughly enjoyed; the Pufferbelly has a delicious menu. I ordered a flavorful Parmesan crusted Tilapia with steamed broccoli -- I was not disappointed. As a treat we each delved into the dessert menu, coolly eying those brought to the table near ours. Our selections were made and when they arrived we all cooed at the generous presentations and groaned that our stomachs might not be big enough.

The whole evening was full of giggly chatter and fun. I was glad to spend an evening out with the studio girls as it was a rare occasion. Before Saturday, we had all been, for the most part, singly connected by our declared major and studio. Now, we shared one more thing and it will hopefully become a bond that we can all enjoy for the next years that we study at Kent State.

...carolyn

This one's for you, Tyler

I've been slacking.
I have not posted a new entry in seven days; an ENTIRE WEEK! Wow. I really have been slacking.
Sorry, TyTy.

Though I should get some credit because there hasn't really been a lot of excitement in studio. AND I've been quite busy with other classes, thank you Arch History (our first exam is on Thursday).

In any case, without any fun and unique-to-studio stories, I will fill in about our next project.

We're starting programming on Monday, though I have yet to figure out what the final project for this will be. We were informed that, during the week, we would have to take trips to certain grocery stores and markets in the area: Trader Joe's, Whole Foods, Fresh Market, West Side Market, West Point Market, and a few others that I can't recall. As he introduced the assignment Stauffer rattled off various restaurants, grocery stores, and markets where the experience and atmosphere of the space sounded more important than the food served. His enthusiasm sparked a strange curiosity in everyone's face; we yearned to walk down an aisle, stocked with foreign, fresh, and savory foodstuff, in Whole Foods. It is rather surreal to watch someone, like Stauffer, who comes off as professional and serious, mentally melt with a cozy sigh at the thought of the specific food experience one gets in a Trader Joe's. Passion is an interesting thing; one that can only be observed in the most fragile situations, however I believe that passions expose such fragile moments. Everyone possess an ardor for one thing or another and it is an exhilarating scene when that infatuation pulses through a group of people who are allowed in to experience a bit of a person's passion.

I guess what I'm trying to say, in a round about way, is that I am looking forward to the upcoming food experience field trip. Hopefully it lives up to Stauffer's rave review of the list of grocery stores and markets.

...carolyn

Snow, Snow, Snow, and Surprise! It's Still Snowing

On Friday, the fifth of February, Kent, Ohio was powdered with about ten inches of perfect-for-snowball-fights snow. It wasn't a surprise, we had been forewarned, but the winter storm came calmly. It was as if the clouds were matter-of-factly dumping their fluffy precipitation on us like someone unenthusiastically shaking salt on a dull plate of food. And there was no stopping it; no matter how much seasoning disguised that unappetizing dish the clouds would not be satisfied. By Saturday morning, when I headed over to studio at 9am, everything was covered with a generous helping of clean snow. My walk from Fletcher Hall to Taylor Hall took a little bit longer than usual because only a few paths had been cleared.

By Sunday a few more paths had been cleared by people trudging over the same set of footprints. On the way to the hub for dinner, a snowball fight ensued between me, Tyler, Molly, Dan, Ryan, and Katie. Cold chunks of snow flew through the air, exploding down vulnerable backs or simply crashing to the ground with defeated thuds. The whole scene, filled with laughter and in-good-fun revenge, made me despise snow a little less. At home it doesn't take long for snow to turn grey and slushy. Constant movement of vehicles and people, excessive piles of salt, and a smattering of dogs' yellow graffiti quickly taint the simple beauty of fresh snow. Here, though, remains expansive patches of unadulterated white snow.

We are supposed to get another six to nine inches of snow by tomorrow. It's snowing now. My phone buzzes with class cancellation notices for the Kent branches; I'm waiting with crossed fingers that the next one will announce that all Kent campus evening classes are canceled.

...carolyn

p.s. the black squirrel is still in the heaters on the fourth floor

The Hawks and the Black Squirrels

A week ago I experienced the great surprise of an unexpected intruder in the studio: a black squirrel. Although our unique furry friend is the unofficial mascot of Kent, it is not appreciated on the fourth floor of Taylor Hall. Luckily, its visits are fairly infrequent; last Saturday was an exception.

Hard at work, Nick's concentration was broken by a scurrying under his desk. He whirled around to glimpse a quickly moving black spot. Confusion mixed with excitement ensued in what would appear to any onlooker as a group of giddy children chasing a cat around a house.

"Where'd it go?"

"Oh! There it is!"

"Where?"

"Behind the pillar!"

"Oh man, get it outta here!"

"Look there it goes!"

After following the frightened animal across to the second year studio we realized there were two of them; two black squirrels on the fourth floor at the same time, how excitng! We met a mirror of ourselves in a group of equally excited and a bit confused second years. They were attempting to chase the other squirrel out of the building and into the clutching talons of a hawk, of which there were two staking out their would-be dinner had the squirrels not found refuge in the studio. One of the squirrels disappeared into the heaters that line the perimeter of the studio. We could hear it scuffling around the small warm place and wondered to each other if it would get stuck. Someone asked aloud where the second hawk had gone. As if to answer himself, there was a swooping flurry of brown and white from the top corner of the building. Everyone sighed and all eyes followed the graceful predator as it circled over the Honors College and beyond the Art Building. Soon to follow was the other hawk, which had perched in a tree directly across from Taylor Hall. They would catch their dinner elsewhere. We were left to hope the two squirrels would find their way out of studio without doing their business on any projects.

...carolyn

Visual Acoustics: Cleveland Premiere

(1.28.10)

The adventure began yesterday at 4 pm on Summit street. David, Nick, Tyler, Dana and I crammed into David's little car knowing quite well that we would have to book it and make no wrong/missed turns if we wanted to make it to The Cleveland Museum of Art for the Cleveland Premiere showing of Visual Acoustics: The Modernism of Julius Shulman at 5:30.

First missed turn: right onto 43. Note: still in Kent. Off to a good start!

The next missed turn was a crucial one; instead of taking the highway to Cleveland (which only makes sense, right?) we took a right towards Erie, PA. Thank you, GPS.

After Tyler's iPhone GPS rerouted the digital copy of our intended journey, we missed the next entrance ramp to Cleveland.

So, when 5:25 rolled around David's little car was crammed with five people, the majority of which were frustrated and anxious to find the Cleveland Museum of Art and make the 5:30 showing. The next glitch happened when we realized that 1831 E 36th street is not in fact the location of the museum. We were really at a loss now and Tyler's iPhone was steadily decreasing in battery life. We asked a parking lot guard for directions, he told us CMA was on 118th and didn't try to hide the you're-clearly-lost-tourists tone in his voice.

We arrived to the art museum at about 6:00 and bought our tickets for the second showing. With an hour of time to kill we walked upstairs to the galleries for a quick look at the museum's collection. When the Cleveland premiere let out a few minutes before 7:00 we found seats in the small lecture hall and the documentary began promptly. The opening animations were compelling, sucking our interest in with masterful ease. We met Julius Shulman, his garden, and his passion within the first few minutes. It was fascinating to watch architecture and photography meld together so cleanly that even one who has no interest in the two arts would feel a twinge of jealousy. Shulman delivered architectural modernism wrapped in a comforting homeliness to the world. He firmly, but in no way obnoxiously, stamped his artistic presence into history; Visual Acoustics conveyed this master's accomplishments beautifully. Thus, despite the frustrating drive from Kent to Cleveland, the whole adventure was a success and most enjoyable.

Julius Shulman Film (website)

...carolyn